APACHE STONE, APACHE STONE

Mike Lombardi of TV’s Rescue Me fame has taken the road of other actors; Jared Leto (30 Seconds To Mars) comes to mind, and is fronting his own group.   The actor, who plays Mike “Probie” Silleti opposite Denis Leary, actually has a good rock voice.   Some of the group’s songs will be heard on episodes, and the band will also perform on future shows.   The New York based rock band is able to rock, and is playing a club circuit, obviously around the show’s shooting schedule.

You can detect the inflection of Mike’s influences GNR, STP, Pearl Jam, etc.   The songs are well written, and performed well.   Mike has the pipes for moderate/heavy rock, and doesn’t stretch out of reach.   Mike was actually a drummer prior to becoming an actor (not the other way around), and considers the band a passion, not a side gig.   He also wrote all of the lyrics for the five-piece group’s debut release.

Let It Live, has an anthem like quality.   Synthetic Self is about as close to a ballad as we get, a good flowing track.   Social Outlaw takes on a different tone by being a bit heavier than most of the songs, featuring some good guitar work by both Hank Woods and Nick Bacon.   Loba takes on a Creed/Alter Bridge vibe, which works.   Leave Yourself Alone gives you a Led Zeppelin characteristic, while Eddie Vetter style phrasing delivers the vocals.  

The CD is overall, a good listen.   They’re worth seeing at a club date; so keep your eyes open.   The release is serious, and the guys fit tightly together!

By R.M. Engelman

[Rating: 3.5/5]